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A prominent Baptist pastor told Fox News on Saturday that President Donald Trump has a “better understanding” of the bible than Pope Leo XIV when it concerns the military conflict with Iran.
Robert Jeffress, a Fox News contributor, made the comments on “Fox News Live” two days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the pope in Europe.
While Jeffress, a megachurch pastor in Dallas, said Leo was a “good man” and “sincere in his faith,’ he argued that the pontiff is “sincerely wrong when it comes to Iran.”
Jeffress invoked Romans 13 to defend the administration’s use of military force, arguing that God established distinct roles for church and state.
“The role of a church is to point people in Jesus Christ to, but the role of government is to protect citizens from evil doers according to Romans 13,” he said.
The pastor said Trump “had no choice” but to attack Iran given the threat to the United States.
Jeffress recalled meeting with the president shortly after the war began, during which he thanked Trump for “having the courage to fulfill his God-given responsibility to protect our nation.”
“The great irony is it looks like President Trump has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the pope has,” Jeffress said.
“And I’m glad the president hasn’t backed down at all.”
The comments come amid ongoing tension between Trump and Pope Leo XIV that escalated last month.
On April 12, Trump posted on social media calling the pope “WEAK” on crime and nuclear Iran.
“I don’t want a pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do,” Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social, adding that the pope “should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise.”
The friction stems from the pope’s criticism of the Iran war and statements from the Vatican describing the administration’s treatment of illegal immigrants as “extremely disrespectful.”
While public exchanges between the two leaders have diminished in recent weeks, Jeffress maintained that Trump’s actions align with biblical teachings on the responsibilities of a head of state.
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Heather Gann; al.com; (TNS) || ©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit al.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
